jack ellister

Released earlier this year in a limited CD press, alas long since sold out, Jack Ellister’s ‘telegraph hill’ now gets a 300 only vinyl reboot via the you are the cosmos imprint. His third album no less, having established himself a part of Fruits de Mer’s extended family, Ellister is one of those rarefied sore thumbs sitting on the outer edges of the great psychedelic cosmos crafting wired and weird kaleidoscopic classics without the fanfare or bluster of more well-known (read – hyped) peers possessed of infinitely less talent and a bigger budget, that he chooses to operate in such a confined space might well be his choice, some might draw a reference or two to Syd, some on the other hand might say a case of ‘hiding your light under a bushel’. ‘Telegraph Hill’ is a more considered affair than previous outings, both ‘tune up your ministers…..’ and ‘roots conference’ hinted at a quieter, more reflective persona gnawing away at the overtly surrealist hallucinogenic inventions found gouging the groove lines. A nine track acoustic gathering , from the off ‘telegraph hill’ is immediately marked out by its woody intimacy, the rustic flavouring attaching to opener ‘roots’ arriving seductively spooled in a mellowing porch lit lollop whose spring hued glow is somewhat dashed by a bruising moments lost autumnal melancholy. The homely 60’s hushed haloes continue apace with the cosy toned campfire spiritual ‘fill another glass’ bearing its Dylan-esque adoring while elsewhere, one suspects re-framed with a full lushly caressing orchestration, that the seafaring soft euphoria spraying off the Hitchcock-ian title track ‘telegraph hill’ would fully realise its love noted symphonic potential. Must admit to wishing there was more of the little interludes that decorate this collection, two in total truth be told with ‘icon chambers’ proving prominent in our affections, a twilight twinkled eerie more suited one suspects, to the mystical forages oft trekked by the A Year in the Country folks. Those of you preferring your sounds a little more hazily psyched might do well to seek out ‘high above our heads’ wherein Ellister steps from the reflective shadows to craft a breezily blissed psych pop throwaway replete with oodles of festooning flute florets and wiry stoner montages which when collectively gathered trip to a tapestry woven from a fusion of Donovan and Barrett vibes.  All said for us, the sets show stopper by some clear distance is the newly added ‘condor’. Drafted in last minute taking the place of ‘Lothringer Congregation’, it serves as the sets closer and in truth acts as a perfect finale. In short, an airy sidewinding dust dappled primitive mantra plucked straight from the Jack Rose workbench, festooned with Eastern motifs, snake charming hypno-grooves and didgeridoo daubs, at once mesmeric and deeply spiritual, its mystical aura swirls amid a sultry head dissolving haloing of bonged out Comus like progressive folk classicism. https://www.youarethecosmos.com/